Night Light
by Notsureyet18
Summary: He had been known across the lands as the Dark One who was feared by everyone, except for one. Rumpelstiltskin comes across a precocious six year old Emma Swan. Note the rating has gone up to T.
1. Chapter 1

Taking a bit of a break from my current story. It is very dark, and I wanted to try and write something a bit lighter for a change. This is an extended scene from my other story. I got the idea during a math test (of all times). Here, Rumpelstilskin tries to handle a young, curious Emma. For now, a two-shot only.

* * *

><p>"Little baby has no mommy!" a mean boy rushes up and pushes me off the swing set.<p>

Face flat in the dirt, I can't help begin to cry as other boys circle me, pointing and laughing. I get up, but another boy pushes me back down. A few more other boys begin laughing at me too. The school bell soon rings and the other kids run back to school, screaming and shoving. Soon, I am left all alone in the dirt. Dusting off my shirt and wiping my eyes, I look up to see my teacher and two other grown-ups walking toward me.

An old lady with white hair and big glasses comes up to me, holding out her hand. "Emma, you won't be going back to class today. I've already spoken with your teacher. You need to come with me. My name is Mrs. Delano"

Not saying anything, I let her take my hand. I can see my teacher nodding at me behind her. She looks like she is crying. I am confused; grown-ups don't cry.

"Where's Miss Anna" I ask the old lady with white hair.

"You won't be going home with Miss Anna today" Mrs. Delano tells me.

I can't help burst into a new round of tears. I know what this means. Miss Anna doesn't want me anymore. She told me a few days ago she was having her own baby. I didn't think she wouldn't want me anymore too. I am going back to that place, the orphanage as the grown-ups call it, with the other boys and girls. Miss Anna won't come back. The other lady I was with before her didn't either.

"Don't worry Emma, it's only for a little while, you'll see" Mrs. Delano says. This what the other lady had said too when she had picked me up. I yank my hand out of hers.

"Grown-ups shouldn't lie!" I yell at her.

Mrs. Delano turns around to me, her face turning red. "Emma, I-"

"No!" I am crying and my yellow hair, which has fallen out of my pony tail, is getting in my eyes. Feeling mad, I wipe it, trying to get it out of my eyes. "The last lady said the same thing! She told my teacher I had to leave school too! Ms. Vina never came back and Miss Anne won't now! You're going to take me back to that place with the other boys and girls!"

Mrs. Delano doesn't say anything this time. Instead, she pats my shoulder as she steers me towards a black car and opens the door. In the back seat, I can see my little purple suitcase and a small box next to it. In the box, I can see my baby blanket. Snatching it out of the box, I hug it to me as I begin to cry.

The lady at the home, Miss Jenna, look very sad to see me as I get out of the car. Rushing out of the car to get away from Mrs. Delano, I run into Miss Jenna's outstretched arms as she hugs me tightly. Miss Jenna is an older girl, a teenager who often stayed with me before I left with Miss Anna. I am happy she is still here. She is the only friend I have.

"Honey, I am so sorry" she whispers to me. "If it makes you feel better, I am happy you're back"

I smile through my tears. Its not long before another lady pries me away from her, demanding I get my stuff out of Mrs. Delano's car. I am not able to see Miss Jenna again. She is told to go home with her mother before I can hug her again..

"She'll be here tomorrow" another lady, one with a mean face stares down at me evilly. Nodding, I do my best to wipe my face. Baby blanket in one hand and my suitcase in another, I am taken inside.

By the time night comes, I am exhausted. I am in a new bed. I wasn't even allowed to have my old one. The little clock on the dresser says its not even eight, so the other girls I am sharing a room with aren't in yet. I curl up on the bed with my baby blanket next to me. Another girl tried taking it away with her, but I screamed so loudly that she left so she wouldn't get in trouble. I was able to pull my big story book out of my suitcase. It is called Once Upon a Time, and is my favorite. Miss Jenna gave it to me and I take it everywhere. With it, I am left alone to my imagination, and most of the time, these are the only friends I need. Before I close my eyes, I wish for a friend that was real, at least one to have when Miss Jenna isn't here.

* * *

><p>I am standing in front of a mirror. It is bigger than I am. I am wearing a long white princess dress. My hair is up on the top of my head and I have a glittering white tiara on top. I look like a ballerina. No! I look like a princess! Twirling around I admire the long dress and the white heels. I giggle. There is a high pitched humming sound coming from behind me. Looking around, I see I am in a strange place. For the first time, I notice that it is dark and foggy, like a scary movie. There is a big castle with a light in room almost at the top. I don't want to get my dress dirty, so I pick it off the ground and walk towards the castle. As I walk to the front of the castle, the doors swing open and there is a big stairway at the end of the hallway. The humming as gotten even louder.<p>

"Hello?" I say. There is no response.

Picking up my dress, I walk up the stairs, my little legs hurting way before I reach the top. I get to the top and there is another door which opens up only slightly. Poking my head inside, I gasp as I see a dark room full of books. There are more books here then there were in the library at school. There are some strange looking bottles that are glowing.

"Well, are you just going to stand there like a frightened mouse or are you going to come in?" comes a really high voice.

This scares me, and I look in the direction the voice came from. There is a…grown up standing behind a large spinning wheel. There is gold glittering thread coming out of it. I can see the grown-up has on strange clothing, and the pants are shiny, and I'm guessing they are leather. I have seen a leather purse before and it was just as shiny.

The person standing behind the wheel giggles. "Come in dearie, don't be shy. You walked all the way into my home without invitation. What's stopping you now?"

I step inside and approach what I am thinking is a man. He has curly hair and his skin is a color I've never seen before. It's almost green. He is smiling at me, but it doesn't look like a nice smile.

"Are you the boogeyman?" I ask.

"Oooh! Very direct!" he lets out a laugh, "No, no, I am not, dear Emma"

"You know my name!"

"Yes!" he goes back to his spinning. "And, I also know you like to read stories. Now, let's play a little game. You like games, don't you?"

I nod, feeling brave. I come closer. There is a full moon out, and it makes his skin look like he just got out of a shower.

"Of course you do" he finally stops spinning and looks down at me as I come to his table. It is full of more weird bottles, and I reach to touch one, but a cold, wet hand slaps it away.

"No touching!" the weird man almost snarls at me, before bursting out in another giggle. "Now, let's play our game. I want you to guess what my name is. Now, you will only get one clue. Do you understand the rules?" I nod again.

"Finish my sentence" he says, he voice suddenly getting deeper, "Today I brew, tomorrow I bake; And then the prince child I will take! For no one knows my little game! And oh I am glad that no one knew that the name I am called is-" he stops and points to me.

"Rumpelstilskin?" he looks nothing like the Rumpelstilskin in my story book.

"Oh! So smart!" he waves both of his arms as he walks around the table, "So, so smart!"

He is so very tall. I can see now that his skin is in fact, greenish grey. He is also very thin, which makes his face remind me of a fox. Kneeling down, he is soon looking me directly in the eye.

"Are you afraid"

"No" I am being truthful when I say this.

"Do you think I'm going to eat you?"

"No. Rumpelstilskin looks like an old man with a long white beard" he laughs again while I talk, "And he steals babies, not eats them. You look nothing like him"

"How old are you, dearie?"

"I am six!" I say proudly.

"Oh! Such an old woman already aren't ya!" he giggles almost as much as the girls in my room, and soon, I begin giggling too.

"How did I get here?" I ask him.

"You needed a friend, didn't you?" Rumpelstilskin says, "And you're in luck! I am looking for a friend too!"

"I got no friends, and I don't need none!" I say to him, "Except Miss Jenna!"

"Is that why you cried?" he voice drops again. He is now right in my face. Before I know what's going on, he snatches me up close to him, his hands so tight that I cry out. "You know, princesses aren't suppose to cry!"

"You're mean!" with all my might, I kick him in the shin and he drops me.

"Such fire!" he says this, pointing in the air with such force that he is suddenly on his tippy toes. "Yes! Very good!"

"You're weird, mister"

"Now, that's not a nice thing to say to a friend" he frowns at me. He suddenly folds is hands in front of his stomach.

"You're not my friend!" He is weird, even if it is mean to say. One minute he is yelling and the next he is dancing.

"Oh no" he circles around me, "You asked for a friend, didn't you. I want to be your friend" he suddenly stops, and uses both hands to point two long fingers at me, "For something in return, of course"

"You don't buy friendship" I stick my chin up in the air.

"Everything comes at a price, little dearie"

"Well I couldn't give you a baby" I say, "And, I don't have any nice jewelry to give you. But, you can take the boy who pushed me off the swing set"

He laughs his weird laugh again. "No, no, little Emma, I want something far more special" He gets down on one knee and is again, eye level with me. "Now, you are a smart girl, do know what a benefactor is?"

I shake my head. That is a word I don't know. Miss Jenna used to teach me big words before I left a few months ago with Miss Anna.

"It means you'll let me help you" Rumpelstilskin nearly whispers as he brushes a strand of my hair out of my eyes, "Little Emma, all alone. Its not your fault, really. What I want, is to be your helper. What I want is for you to be here, so you can become the princess you'll grow up to be. In return, you'll find your home"

He is looking at me so kindly. Most people look at me like I've done something wrong, or that they feel bad for me.

"So, do we have a…friendship?" Out of nowhere, he pulls a rose out from behind his back.

I gasp. It is so pretty! No ones ever given me a rose before! Smiling so much that it hurts, I take it from him and smell it. It smells as pretty as it looks.

"I thought so" this is the last thing I remember before I wake up.

* * *

><p>"Wow, you're really into that book today aren't you!" Miss Jenna sits next to while I am eating lunch. "I knew you would like it as soon as I saw it!"<p>

"Miss Jenna, I had a dream a few nights ago about Rumpelstilskin!" I beam at her as I look up from the book. "Except he didn't look anything like in the other stories!"

"Oh wow!" she laughs with me, "Be careful not to make any deals with him or he's gonna getcha!"

An older lady calls to her, and she has to go before I can tell her more. Alone again, a girl tries to make fun of me for reading. I always read. I don't know why everyone else thinks it's funny. I am no longer sad about Miss Anna not coming back. I am reading my book with a new interest after my dream, and I am too busy to think about it. I can barely keep my eyes off it. Today, I don't have any school as I just came back this week. I have a few days to get settled in. That night, while everyone else is watching a movie in the big room, I am curled up in my bed with my book. I don't even remember falling asleep.

* * *

><p>I am in the dark place again. Looking down, I am in white dress and heels. There is a big mirror in front of me again. Like my last dream, my hair is on top of my head with the tiara again. There is a full moon, and it reflects off the walls around me. I am not in the swamp this time. I am in a room. There is a click of behind me, followed by a giggle. With a huge smile on my face, I turn around and see my friend, also smiling.<p>

"Little dearie, are you ready to begin?"


	2. Chapter 2

"So, what am I here for?"

"You're here to learn magic" he says so very quickly. He walks fast and I have to run to keep up with him.

"Why?" I want to know.

"Because, magic is in your blood" he turns around in a flash and is kneeling down next to me, "It will make you who you are one day?"

"How do you know that?"

"I know these things" he giggles as he points at himself.

"How do know these-"

"My goodness!" he squeals, reminding me of mouse, "Full of questions aren't you! If I stop and answer all of them we'll never get started!"

I am not happy with this answer. Before I can say anything else he is up and walking again. I have a question that I really need to ask him.

"Excuse me mister-"

"I am not a man, so please address me by name only!" Rumpelstiltskin is on his tippy toes again, hands moving everywhere.

"Uh, are you a lady?" I am very confused.

"Do I look like a lady?" before I can say anything, he cuts me off. "If there are anymore questions, please do not ask for now"

He turns and continues walking. I don't want to be left alone in the hallway so I run up and walk beside him. He jumps when he sees me next to him and walks even faster.

"Are you afraid of me?" I ask him.

"No" his voice now sounds angry so I think it would be best to be quiet for a while.

We get to the room with the spinning wheel. There is gold thread hanging off it and he immediately walks around and sits behind it. On his desk, there is a glowing bottle. It had purple and pink with gold dust everywhere in it. It is very pretty and I want to touch it.

"Now!" Rumpelstiltskin is behind me again, "Are you ready for your first task?"

I nod happily. I want to learn magic.

"Good" he laughs his weird high laugh, "For your first task, you'll dust my shelves and then you will begin sorting my books"

"What does that have to do with magic?"

"So eager to learn aren't you!" he smiles as he leans over to me, "First, you need some responsibility. Once I have decided you can do it, then, your real learning will begin. Do you think you can be patient?"

"But why?" I can't help but cry, "I clean at my home already!"

"Magic can be potentially dangerous. Do you know what that means?"

I nod. Miss Jenna had taught me the word, 'potential' just earlier today.

"Good" he waves his hands at me again, "Now, off you go. You can start in the corner and work your way to the other side of the room. Once you're done, you can do the bookshelves"

"Why do you dance so much?" There. I have finally asked my question. He's always moving his hands everywhere and his whole body twists with him. It must be dance.

"Dance?"

"Yes. Did you take jazz class? I know some girls who are taking classes right now"

"Little dearie, I gave you a task" he now has a mean look on his face, "Now go do it. And if you ask me one more question, I will find a spell to put a zipper on your mouth. Are we clear?"

I don't like this answer. "That's mean-"

"Ahhht!" he puts a cold finger to my lips.

With a huff, I go off to do my chore and he walks to the other side of the room.

"I don't dance!" I hear him say to himself. I have to put a hand over my mouth to stop from laughing.

* * *

><p>"Emma, you're so distracted today" Miss Jenna gives me a push on the shoulder.<p>

"I had that dream again with the weird man!" I tell her happily.

"Very nice!" Miss Jenna leans in closer to me, "And what did you do this time?"

I made a face. "He made me clean!"

"Now that wasn't very nice of him" Miss Jenna laughs, "Now, are you ready for a new word today?"

"Yes Miss Jenna" I don't want another word, but it makes me sound smarter, so I do it.

"You're word of the day is 'adamant'. It means to be firm and stuck in your choice so that it's very hard to change your mind"

The bell soon rings and I have to leave to start my class. I dread going to bed that night. I am afraid of the dark. I asked for a night light once, but the mean lady in the office said they didn't have money for it. I always had one when I stayed with Miss Anna, but now that I am back here, I don't got one anymore. I think to Rumpelstiltskin's castle. He has a lot of glowing bottles. Maybe I can use one for a nightlight.

* * *

><p>"Absolutely not!" I don't even know why I asked him.<p>

I am back in the castle again. This is my seventh night here. I know; I've been keeping a calendar underneath my pillow. It has taken me a lot longer to dust the room. The first time I did, Rumpelstliskin _adamantly _said I didn't do it right.

"I'm tired of cleaning!" I plead with him.

"I'm tired of you whining" he said back, "But you don't hear me complaining, do you?"

He is standing as straight as a board. He has been that way ever since my 'dance' question. He is now standing over me as I dust his shelves. He says I can't work without supervision.

I wrinkle my nose and stick out my tongue at him.

"You put that away unless you plan on cleaning the dust with it!"

I turn back around and continue with the dusting. "Is there magic to make the dust go away?"

"Oh! Now, you are asking the right questions!" he goes to move his hands, then scrunches his face and drops them to his side. "Follow me, child"

I follow him to his desk and he pushes some junk to the ground. At the corner, there is a little glowing box. It is so small it could fit in my hand. I have to touch it! I know it would make the perfect nightlight. He won't let me take it. I remember back to Miss Anna's house. Whenever she was angry and looking for something, she would often walk right past it. I once used a trick on her so that she wouldn't see me take an extra cookie.

* * *

><p>'This child is going to be the death of me' Rumpelstiltskin thought as he pinched the bridge of his nose.<p>

When it came to dealing with children, he was centuries out of practice. She had been asking so many questions that when he made the threat to spell her mouth shut, he was half serious. He had been alone for years and not used to dealing with people on a regular basis. He had dealt out many cruel deals, and if he were to be honest, punishment was deserved on occasion. But this was just uncalled for.

Perhaps the worst part was that she was so unafraid of him. He, he who once had kings, princesses and fairies too terrified to even say his name, didn't even faze a little child. He must be going soft. He snapped out of his thought to see her reach for a little amulet on his desk.

"What the hell did I tell you about touching!" he yelled at her, startling her so that she made a little squeak. In a quick jab, he smacks her hand.

"Well you're touching it!"

"I am the adult here! This stuff is too dangerous for babies"

"But only men and ladies can be adults!" the little pixie says back, "Your definitely not a lady, and you said you weren't a man!"

"You are in my home!" He points a finger at her, getting even angrier "That amulet is mine, and I say no touching! You keep this up and I will send you back and leave you there!"

"You said I was going to learn magic! I have done nothing but clean and watch you dance!"

"I. Do. Not. Dance!" Rumpelstiltskin was now shouting so loud at her that his voice echoed across the castle. He moved around the side of table to shake the child, but froze when he found that she wasn't cowering in fear, but laughing! He knelt down to look her in the eye. "Mind sharing the humor? I could use a little joke right now"

"You're funny mister"

This little girl seemed to have no idea how dangerous he could really be. Or, she really was that brave. He was quiet for a minute as a several different spells floated through his mind. He closed his eyes to take a deep breath. Patience was certainly not a virtue of his, but with this important case, it had to be.

"This is behavior is not acceptable" he said as slowly as he pulled himself to his feet. Eyes still closed and walked away from her. "You won't be back here for a few days, so you'll have time to think of your actions. You know the way out. Go"

He hears her take a step forward and he smiles to himself.

'She's going to apologize' he thought to himself. 'Everyone, even children, are so easy to control'

He spun around to face her, gasping in surprise to find her gone. Eyes narrowing, he could hear her running down the hall towards the mirror. Something was missing. Eyes scanning his desk, he froze as he realized the little gold amulet was gone.

"Little Miss Dearie! You get back here right now!" in his rage, he forgot he could simply teleport after her.

He could hear her giggling as she moved her little legs faster. No child should be able to run so fast in heels and a dress! He could see her little closed fist with the amulet glowing wildly in it. Her other fist was holding up her dress. She was almost to the mirror. He was close behind her and she was just within reaching distance now. With one long hand, he reached out to grab her-

-eyes growing wide when he found himself grasping for thin air. The pixie had dropped to the ground and on all fours, scurried towards the mirror, laughing so hard she was hiccuping.

"Was that your plan the entire time!" he shouted after her as he watched her exit.

Of course it was. She had said she wanted to use one of the amulets as a nightlight, a by the gods, she had gotten one. He felt himself turn red. He had let her use his anger to gain the upper hand. He, the Dark One, the Feared One, the Great Rumpelstiltskin, Maker of Deals, had been bested by a six year old girl. He would be the laughingstock of the kingdom if anyone were ever to find this out.

"Scheming little minx" he muttered to himself. She truly was her mother's child.

The thought stopped him, and he felt his anger dissolve. Oh yes, she was most certainly ready to begin learning, her real learning, even at her tender young age.

* * *

><p>I am out of breath the next morning and I am sweaty. The other girl across the room is still sleeping. I look out the window. It is still dark out side. My hand is hurting because I am squeezing it so tightly. Giggling, I duck under my blankets to look at the prize in my hand. There is soft yellow light underneath the blanket. Its not bright enough to see from across the room, especially with my blankets over it. Smiling, I curl around my new nightlight and drift off to sleep. I no longer have to be afraid of the dark anymore.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I wasn't going to continue this story, but Narnian Phantom Stallion had such a good idea I couldn't pass on it. Thank you everyone for the reviews! Also, part of this will be used in my other story as well. And the 'spell' he uses is 'be quiet' in Latin. This story was by far, the most fun to write!

* * *

><p>"But why!" I cry out.<p>

"My magic is not for children!" Rumpelstiltskin snaps at me.

Rumpelstiltskin is very mean to me next time I am in the castle. He wants my night light back. First he says 'congratulations on your little victory' and then he says, 'now return what is mine!'. He is a very weird man.

"What was in it anyways?" what could it be to be so important.

"It took me a very long time to make that magic" he says slowly, "It was magic that I originally thought couldn't be bottled, and once I did, I was trying to make a spell for it, so that's why it was in the amulet you took. So, return it at once"

"I need it!" I don't want to give away my night light. "I am afraid of the dark"

"The sun is sleeping, so that's why the sky is dark. What is there to be so afraid of, little dearie?"

I frown. "No, the sky is dark because the sun is no longer…facing the Earth!" I am very proud of myself. Miss Jenna had been teaching me science for a week now and I had to work extra hard to get it.

"What!" he goes to move his hands, frowns, and drops them.

"The sun…it isn't facing this side of the earth" maybe Rumpelstiltskin didn't know this. I only learned a few days ago. "So, where I am, it's night time. On the other side of the Earth, it's day time"

He gets down on one knee again and stares me straight in the eye. "I warned you last time about your behavior. When you are in my house, you will be a good girl and you will do as I say"

"You're not my faaattthhhheeeeer!" I say in a singsong voice.

"No, I am nnnooottt!" he sings right back at me, "I am your friend. Friends are nice to each other, and you are not being nice right now"

His hands are close to my face for a moment and then they are waving everywhere and I can't help but laugh.

"What is so funny?"

"You're dancing again!"

His lips form a straight line. "So, I was working on a spell, and you popped in my mind. My new spell will be called, 'Silent as the Tomb'. Do you understand?"

"What's a tomb?" I want to know. Miss Jenna hasn't taught me that yet. I have to ask her tomorrow.

He puts a hand over his face. "Just be quiet! Quiet, quiet, quite!"

"But-"

"Eeeppp!" he makes another weird noise as he puts a finger on my lips.

For a minute we just stare at each other. Every time I open my mouth, he makes another weird shushing noise. I really want to know what a tomb is now.

"Since you are so, interested in how the sun works, then lets begin learning about to use it for magic, shall we"

With a hand on my back, he steers me towards a long table with a book on it. The book is so big that I have to stand on my tippy toes to see the end of it. Even in the heels, I am still short. Now I am really curious to know what is in my amulet. And he still hasn't told me what a tomb was!

* * *

><p>He really did have a spell to make her quiet. Indeed after she had bested him, he had spent one day fuming around the castle trying to get over it and two more days coming up with the correct chant for the spell. He just didn't want to use it just yet. The spell was a one time use only charm. The child was very precocious and naturally curious. Still, he had to remember she was just a child, and there were some things she wouldn't understand. Despite this, he was convinced that she was ready to learn some of the basics of magic. While flipping through the book, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breathe, he looked up to see the little pixie peering up at him, eyes wide with questions.<p>

"What is it now?" he couldn't help but be frustrated with all the questions.

"I really wanted to know what a tomb is"

He waved her off absentmindedly and answered her quickly. "A place where dead people are put-"

A glass dropped and he realized with a start that he hadn't stop to think about the answer. He spun around to face the girl. She was staring at him, her blue eyes growing even wider, her little chest puffing in and out.

"Y-you wan-wanted to s-spell m-me dead!" she gasped, backing away from him.

"It was a quip" he tried to giggle at her, "Not serious"

Too late. He should've known she wouldn't know what a quip was. With a little shriek, the child grabbed her dress and was off sprinting down the hall.

"Come back here!" he called after her.

"Stay away!" she squealed and she ran even faster than the day before.

He took off after her. He got half way down the hall and he realized there was no way he was never going to catch up to her. A thought dawned on him and he momentarily cursed his stupidity. In a flash of purple smoke, he was gone. Reappearing right before the mirror, he saw the frightened child running straight for him.

"Now you listen to me, child!" he pointed a finger at her, "You are going to…wait, you need to stop!'

"Nnnnooooooo!" the child screamed as she threw her arms up around her head, running straight for him.

"You need to stop!" Rumpelstiltskin threw his arms out in front of him, "Emma! Stop!"

She crashed into him. Foot catching on the rug as he tried to steady himself as he was knocked off balance, he teetered backwards a few steps before he felt himself falling. Emma grasping his jacket tightly, he held her to him as they fell for what seemed to be ages. Keeping his eyes closed, he didn't dare look around. There was a loud ringing in his ears. It was like falling through a black hole. The next thing he knew, he landed on a hard surface with a loud oomph!

"Oh!" he heard the child gasp, but she was no longer wrapped around him.

'The gods can't be serious' he thought to himself before sitting up.

Daring to open his eyes, he felt his confusion shift to annoyance, his eyes scanning around the dull, grey room. It was a decent sized room that had been built for two. He scanned over the silly colored pictures on the wall to the small closet. At the end of the room, there was another room, which he guessed lead to a bathroom. There was a small light coming from underneath the door. Thankfully, the other girl who occupied this room was using it. It was then he heard the startled cry and he turned his head to the other bedroom at the end of the room. There was the little princess in her bed and regular night time clothing. Sitting straight up, she was staring at him, her little mouth formed in an 'O'.

"You're real!" she gasped.

The whole situation was ridiculous. With a flip of his head, he lifted a finger to his lips.

"Ssshhhh!" he whispered sarcastically, "Don't tell anyone"

His sarcasm was lost on her as she giggled. He was about the pull himself to his feet when both he and Emma heard footsteps. The door was clicking open.

"Hide!" Emma whispered as she dove under her covers.

"Traitor!" he hissed at her before looking madly around the room for a hiding spot.

Looking everywhere, he came to the realization that there were no nooks for him to hide in. Except for one. The spot underneath the other girl's bed. It was the closet thing to him. With only a few seconds to act, he crawled underneath the bed, cursing the whole situation and how he had let the little pixie get the best of him again. He could hear the Evil Queen laughing at him. Oh yes, if anyone caught him they would have been able to blackmail him for the next century. Holding his breath, he barely made out the little fuzzy pink slippers at the foot of the bed along with a blanket railing behind the tiny legs. The girl was about to climb into the bed-

-when she dropped the blanket she had been carrying right next to his face.

'This isn't happening!' he winced as the girl knelt down to grab the blanket. Little brown eyes met big black ones. 'No, of course it is'

"Ahhhh! Monster!" the girl shrieked.

"Ahhhh!" he shrieked right back.

Emma shot straight up in bed and stared at them, her little face pinched in fear as there was a loud thud to be heard outside the room at the end of the hallway. Rumpelstiltskin heard the running footsteps as well. Once again, he had only minutes to act. He rolled his eyes. He knew the spell he had to use. The one he had been saving for Emma.

"Boogeyman! There is the Boogeyman under my bed!" the other girl was screaming.

Gaining a hold of himself, he slipped one arm around the child's back, and with his free hand, he place a finger on the child's lip before whispering in her ear.

"Tace et audi" he murmured as the panicked girl was magically silent. Step one complete. Now for step two. "Sleep"

The child went limp in his arms and was soon fast asleep. Putting her gently on the bed, he then made a mad dash for the other side of the room, feeling completely absurd.

"Hurry, hurry!" Emma was whispered frantically.

He managed the dive right behind her bed as a light switch was flipped on. An older, anxious looking woman panting for breath soon came into view. Spotting Emma, the woman's eyes narrowed.

"Well! What is it you were carrying on about!"

"I-I thought I saw a monster under my bed" he could hear how nervous she was.

"You need to learn how to control your emotions" the woman said with a huff, "It's a miracle you didn't wake up Rose"

Rose was now sprawled across the bed, snoring contently in a deep sleep. With an irritated 'Good Night!', the older woman flipped the lights off and stormed off. Rumpelstiltskin held his breath, along with Emma, making sure the coast was clear for a minute. Oh, the child was going to get the scolding of a life time!

"You know, I just had to use a spell that took me three days-" he stopped as he turned to the child. She was holding out her hand to him. Enclosed in her little fist was the tiny gold amulet. "Did I ever tell you what was in that amulet?"

"No" the child said softly, "But of you need it back, here. I'm sorry I took it without asking"

"That's quite alright, little dearie. In the amulet is a little thing I like to call Twu Luv. I've got an entire bottle at home. You can keep this one" he pushed her back and watched her face light up. He opted not to tell her that he gotten it by making deals with her parents.

"You're not mad at me?"

"I suppose not!" he said with a sweep of his arm, no longer caring if she thought he was 'dancing'. Besides, it was beneath him to admit that this was actually the most fun he'd had in…well, decades.

"Thank you" she said, flashing another precious smile at him. Her face suddenly got serious, much to serious for that of a six year old. "Promise me you'll never leave me"

He was silent for a minute, his power of sight giving him a vision of the woman she was to become. A spark of what could only be called humanity coursed through his veins. For one brief moment, he saw the pain and loneliness that this innocent child would go through. For one single, solitude minute, he allowed himself to regret the course of her life the next few years. In that minute, he actually felt tears well up in his eyes. Quickly snapping back to himself, the moment was soon gone.

"You have my word" he said with a dramatic bow.

He watched her smile. Helping tuck her back into bed, little amulet next to her face, he whispered, "Sleep child" and soon, the little princess was in a deep slumber.

* * *

><p>"I saw the Boogeyman last night!" Rose was telling all of her friends the next morning. Of course, no one believed her and they all teased her for being afraid of the dark.<p>

"Everyone knows that Boogeyman isn't real!" a boy laughed at her.

"But I saw him!" Rose said as she pushed him down, "Now stop laughing at me!"

The little amulet was in my hand. Looking at it, I noticed now that there was pink and gold sparkles mixed together in it. And it had been made with True Love! I smiled as I looked over at Rose. She was right; The Boogeyman wasn't real, that's for sure.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Yeah, I'm not to sure where this idea came from, and I'm taking some liberties here. FYI, in Rumple's castle, time doesn't mean anything. I'm having a thought here of turning this into a spin off from 'Failed Test'. Not necessary to read to understand, but the ending to this will tie into it. This might go up to T, and that's at a stretch. In FT, there is a time skip of six years, and I think that'll be what this story is. The Latin word Rumple uses this time is 'stop'. If anyone has any ideas on continuing this, no matter how random, let me know. Usual disclaimer applies. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>"Am I ready to learn magic yet?"<p>

"No" Rumpelstiltskin didn't even look up at me from his spinning wheel.

I have been here for a few months now. Soon I will be seven. I am on a magic time out. Even though he said he wasn't mad at me for accidentally pushing him through the mirror, he now says I have to wait until I am older. I don't even have my princess dress anymore. He has given me a little brown dress and sandals and a broom. I now have even more cleaning to do! I feel like Cinderella before she became a princess.

"You said you weren't mad at me" I pout.

"And I'm not mad at you" he points a finger at me, "But, you're not ready to learn real magic"

"But I'm tired of cleaning!"

"How about a story then" he says as he picks up something that looks like some blue cloth and a sewing kit.

"Ok!" I say happily as I run over to the spinning wheel. I stand the broom up next to the wall.

"You see this" he unfolds the blue cloth, revealing several silver and gold stars. It's a hat! "Before I had you, some time ago, I needed a care taker. There a was a poor farmer who very much needed to save his little farm"

I sit on the floor and cross my legs. In this dress, I don't have to worry about it getting dirty. I love Rumpelstiltskin's stories!

"Now, this man needed his farm to be saved, and I needed a caretaker" Rumpelstiltskin continues, his arms periodically waving around, "So, in exchange for the boy, I saved the man's farm and the rest of his family-"

"That's mean!" I can't believe he did that.

"Alright!" he says with a shake of his head and turns back to his spinning.

"No! Please go on! I'll be quiet" he raises his eyebrows at me as if he doesn't believe me. "I promise I will!"

"Very well done" he says with a flutter of his hands. He has long since tried to stop from dancing. "Now, this boy was just a little older than you, and was very curious about magic. I explained that if he did his chores, then in time, I would show him the basics"

He pauses and I gasp. I can't wait for him to continue. With another dance, he continues on.

"Of course, the boy said 'Yes! Yes! I promise I'll be good and I'll do what you tell me!' But, just like you, he wasn't a patient little boy. One day, he took this hat" he waves the blue hat at me and I giggle, "And decided he was ready to practice magic. When I came back home, my house was nearly destroyed. He, himself, had nearly drowned in a lake of his own making"

"Wow!" I am amazed by this, "How did he do that?"

This must have been the right question to ask because he lets out another of his weird laughs. "One of his chores was to mop and scrub the dark castle. Be grateful I'm not making you do that! In order to get water, he needed to bring in several pails from the swamp and then boil the water to make it clean. He liked this chore the least so when I was out, he took this hat, after I specifically instructed him no magic, and enchanted several brooms to help with carrying the water. After that worked out well, he became very lazy and took a nap. By time he finally awoke, the brooms had nearly emptied the lake into the castle"

"What happened to the boy?"

"Well, quite naturally I was very upset with him. After that, I decided I had no more use for him. As a punishment, I sentenced him to be a mouse for a year to learn from his mistake"

"Mickey Mouse!" I holler, "Mickey Mouse was here too?"

"Well, that wasn't his name" Rumpelstiltskin says, his eyes rolling, "More like nuisance. You see why I don't want you practicing magic yet, little dearie?"

"Cause you'll turn me into a mouse if I get it wrong?"

He stares at me for a moment. "Never mind. Tomorrow night, I won't be here, but you will. Now, can I trust you too keep your word and be a good girl and do your chores while I'm gone?"

"Why do I have to come here and do chores? Why can't I go with you?"

"Because where I'm going tomorrow isn't a place for children" he wags a finger at me, "Maybe sometime when you're older"

"Where are you going?" now I really want to know where he's going.

"Out" he says quickly.

"So, you'll just be outside around the castle?"

"No"

"So, why can't you tell me where then?"

He rolls his eyes again. "Where I'm going isn't for children and I can't risk you following me"

"Why?" I hate it when he won't share.

"Hhmm" he puts a finger to his chin, "I think I still have that recipe for the 'silence' spell"

This means I need to be quiet now. I stick my tongue out at him.

"Interesting" he says, eyes narrowing, "I have a specific spell I'm working on that requires a tongue from a little girl. Put that away or I'll think your offering it!"

"Meany" I say under by breath as I grab my broom and go back to my chores.

* * *

><p>The next night I am all alone in the castle. I did not want to come tonight. It is no fun when he isn't here. This will be the second time he has left me alone. The last time dragged on forever. When I arrived at the top of the tower, I found a list of chores waiting for me. I pout when I read it. I am being punished for calling him a 'meany'. He wants me to scrub the wall. He's left me the pail and bucket. At the bottom of the list, there is a note in big letters.<p>

"_Do NOT touch anything while I am gone or I will know it. I will be back before you're gone"_

_~R ~ _

It is the same letter as last time. I stick my tongue out at it for good measure. Grabbing my broom, I am not happy. The wall doesn't look like it has been cleaned since I was born. There is something shining in the window and I look over. The hat from his story is growing and shrinking. It has a glowing silver light all around it. It is so pretty that I want to touch it. I stop just before it. I remember Rumpelstiltskin's story and I frown.

I am standing right next to a large open window and I look outside, half-expecting to see Rumpelstiltskin outside. I look behind me to make sure he does appear out of the air again and I snatch the hat. Laughing the entire way down the stairs, I reach another large mirror and I try the hat on. It is too big for me and the front slides in front of my eyes. Instantly, I feel hot and cold. A tingling feeling flies from my toes to my head.

Twirling on my tippy toes, I shriek with laughter as I am suddenly back in my princess dress. Running back up the stairs, I find my broom. The boy's mistake was that he spelled many brooms! If I just spell one, nothing bad will happen. Big smile on my face, I walk over to the broom and touch. It glows orange and brown. With a sudden pop!, it is standing on its own and hopping towards me. I touch it one more time and two little arms come out.

I hand it the pail and point towards the door. "Go get some water to clean the walls!"

The ends of the broom turn into little feet and off it goes. I am so happy! I don't know why Rumpelstiltskin thinks I can't do this. Skipping around the room, I dance downstairs, clapping for joy when I see the little broom teetering back with a pail of water. It climbs up the stairs. I never would've been able to do that. Skipping around the castle I begin pointing wildly at other things. The tea set begins pouring tea into the cups. A funny looking instrument begins playing music. Soon, I am dancing with a large clock.

"Dance! Dance!" I clap as the huge thing teeters to one side and back to the other.

A book flies across the room, using it's bindings to flap like a bird and for a moment, I chase after it. Several more books, both big and small, begin flying as well. I see a bright blue book that I know has pretty pictures and I go after it. It is so close to me and I reach out to grab it-

-as something grabs at my dress and I fall over.

"Ow!" I cry out.

Something is grabbing at my sleeve. I turn over to find yellow eyes staring at me.

"Ahh!" I scream, doing the crab walk across the room. Puffing, I see two scary looking dolls coming towards me. A chair is now walking and nearly steps on me.

"No!" I scream out as I run down the hallway, little dolls chasing after me.

I head straight for the mirror to go home, but it's not there! I can feel myself beginning to cry. The mirror is now walking to! There's no way I can keep up with it. I take off the hat and throw it on the ground, hoping this'll stop everything. It doesn't. Something cold hits my feet and I look down to see water.

"Oh no!" I had forgotten about the broom with the water.

There is now a little river flowing down the stairs, and the broom is carrying up another pail of water. I had thought it would just put the bucket down, not throw it on the wall.

"Stop!" I run after it. I grab the hat and put it back on. "I said stop it!" Nothing happens.

I take of my slippers and run up the stairs after the broom, taking care not to trip on the slippery steps. I broom is about to throw another pail of water on the wall.

"I said stop!" I shriek, grabbing the pail.

Two stick hands on the pail, the broom tries to yank it, and soon we are in a tug o war. Before I know it, we are headed straight for the open window.

"I am your master!" I shout at the broom, "And I said stop!" If Rumpelstiltskin sees this, I just know for sure he'll turn me into a mouse!

With a very strong push, the broom knocks me off my feet and I feel cool night air on my back. Before I know it, my feet are no longer on the ground and everything around me is moving so quickly around me.

"Rumpelstiltskin!" I scream as I fall out of the tower.

* * *

><p>He would've heard that scream if he was in another dimension altogether. He had been in the middle of an important deal, but it would have to wait. Whirling to his feet, he let the magic seep through his body and in a puff of smoke he was gone, willing himself to where the scream was coming from. When he reached his destination, he frowned slightly. He was outside his castle, yet the scream was getting louder and louder. With a start, he realized it was coming from right above him.<p>

"Emma!" he shouted as he caught the little girl in his arms just before she hit the ground.

The child clung to him, and he almost dropped her. It had been a while since anyone had ever held onto him. She was shaking terribly, and he realized she must've fallen out of the window at the top of the castle. He was tempted to soothe her, until he noticed she was back in her white dress. There was a crash from another window, and with his vision, he saw a little blue sorcerers' hat float to the ground.

"What did you do?"

"NOTHING!" she said, refusing to look him in the eye.

All sympathy whatsoever gone, he dropped her.

"Ow!" she screamed as she rubbed a knee. Her face scrunched up as she began sniffling.

"I can't even leave you by yourself, can I!" he was furious with her and his arms were moving everywhere, "You did so well last time! Oh, dry your tears little miss dearie and get up! Now, lets go see what you did!"

"Are you going to turn me into a mouse" she asked tearfully.

He rolled his eyes and with a huff, he walked around to the front of the castle. The little pixie didn't want to follow, and he had to grab her by the arm and drag her along with him.

"What a fine mess this would've been if I hadn't caught you" he scolded her as he threw open the castle doors. His eyes somehow grew even wider as he saw what was inside. "What by the gods did you do?"

Everything in his home was moving. The mirror, chairs, even those two cursed dolls were running around the place, papers flying everywhere. A fiddle had begun playing a tune on its own, and the large clock in his hallways was dancing to it. Dishes were having tea parties with themselves on the top shelves and there was a thin layer of water running down the stairs that led to the tower. There was the wooden broom running with a pail to fetch water. Feeling his temper rising, he reached out and grabbed the broom, lifting it in mid air. Little enchanted feet moving, the broom frantically ran in the air, little sticks for arms failing everywhere.

"Sistite!" he roared, and everything fell to the ground. The broom in his hand suddenly stiffened and stopped moving.

"How did you do that?" he heard the girl whisper from behind him.

Taking a few slow breaths, he turned around to face the girl. He wanted to bring to broom down on her head, and judging by her expression, she knew it to. For the first time, she looked truly frightened.

"Are you going to turn me into a mouse?" she asked him again, blue eyes staring up at him, both doleful and innocent at the same time.

"Go. Home" he said slowly, pointing towards the mirror that had now ended up on the bottom floor. He would clean this mess up by himself.

The little pixie tip toed past him, and paused to look up at him with a sheepish smile. With a loud whack!, he brought to broom down on her behind, sending her squealing for the mirror.

* * *

><p>I am back home, doing some chores. I haven't been to Rumpelstiltskin's castle in nearly a week. He must be very mad at me. I am very sorry for this. I now realize the story he told me was a warning. My arms hurt from all the sweeping I've been doing today. Normally, I would complain about this, as I have more chores than the other children. But not anymore.<p>

I don't care what Rumpelstiltskin thinks. I do learn from my mistakes. I wait till I am sure I am alone. Looking from the left and to the right, I set my broom up against the wall and touch it. I smile broadly as it begins to glow orange and brown.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Got a brand new character to introduce this time. Well, new in this story, but he's already made an appearance in my other story. If there's anything confusion on who he is, he is The Cheshire Cat. I've taken a few liberties with him here. Here we see Emma advancing beyond her peers, leaving her somewhat isolated. Got the Indonesian name for 'smile' here. Again, usual disclaimer applies.

* * *

><p>"Now class, can anyone tell me about what lies between Mars and Jupiter?" Ms. Spencer, our science teacher asks.<p>

I raise my hand and she frowns. "Anyone, besides Emma?"

I yank my hand down, embarrassed.

"She's just a smarty pants" a boy says behind me, "She doesn't do anything but read!"

"She's got no friends" another girl chimes in, "So of course that's all she does. Show off!"

"I am not!" I defend myself as several of my classmates begin snickering.

Something wet hits the back of my head and my hands fly to my hair. I can feel my face crumple as I yank out a spittle ball. The boy across from me is trying so hard not to laugh as he hides his face in his shirt. Face growing hard, I turn around and throw the spit ball back at him.

"Hey!" the boy jumps up and walks towards me.

He looks like he wants to hit me. Jumping to me feet, I push him down before he can even blink. Eyes wide in shock, he stares up at me from the floor. By now, the entire class is roaring with laughter.

"Emma!" Ms. Spencer says loudly, "If you cannot behave then I must ask you to leave. You're causing a disruption"

"That's not fair!" I holler at her as even more people begin laughing.

The only thing Ms. Spencer does is point towards the door. Keeping my chin up, I refuse to look at anyone. As I close the door behind me, the entire class erupts with laughter and Ms. Spencer is desperately trying to keep everyone calm. I have just entered the fourth grade, but I already know all the material she is teaching. Between Ms. Jenna and Rumpelstiltskin's castle, I am learning very quickly. Everyone else just thinks I'm a show off for it though. Opting not to go the principal's office like I'm supposed to, I turn down another hallway. Instead, I head down to Ms. Jenna's office. She isn't there, so I curl up in a corner. Using my backpack as a pillow, I squeeze my eyes shut.

"Rumpelstiltskin!" I whisper, and soon I am fast asleep.

* * *

><p>"You know, little dearie" I hear his voice behind me as I stand in front of the mirror, "I do have other things to do. I can't just keep pulling you here on every whim"<p>

I am back in my long white dress. He has long since gotten rid of the brown one. I turn around to face him. He looks very different in daylight, his skin more gray than gold. I used to only come here at night, but lately, I keep getting thrown out of class and this has become a refuge for me. The only downside is that when it comes time to go to bed, I am not sleepy.

"Why is everyone mean to me?" I ask him, and he smiles down at me.

"I cannot keep having this conversation with you" he says as he pats my head, "You are one of those rare children who like to learn. You are much more advanced than the other children. It's only natural for them to dislike you. You mustn't take it so personally"

"Why do you teach me so much anyways?" I ask him.

"You do want to learn magic?" he asks me one of those questions that he doesn't expect me to answer, "And you are a natural at it. How old are you now?"

"I'm eight" I tell him.

"If I were you, I would ask your silly teachers to give me more of a challenge" his eyes grow really wide as his hands move everywhere again.

A thought crosses my mind. "Can I have more of a challenge here? How about showing me some real magic!"

"I've already informed you that you are not yet ready" his lips form a straight line.

"But you said to ask for a challenge! I can do magic in the real world! I want to learn more"

"You're right, I did!" he giggles, "But don't you have to get back to your school before someone notices?" "No" I frown, "I was kicked out of class for the day again and Ms. Jenna isn't in her office"

"Very well" he says with a sigh, "How about you go to the garden and fetch me a white rose". He then hands me a pair of scissors, no doubt to cut the stem with.

"What are we going to do?"

"Turn it into a red rose" he places a hand on his chin, "I seem to remember you like red roses"

With a little squeal as I run outside of the castle. Usually, I am not allowed outside, especially not in the gardens. Gathering up my dress to keep it from getting dirty, I wander outside. I have never been in the garden before and I am very excited to be in it. Some of the plants are as tall as I am with some very strange looking flowers. There is a large red and yellow flower that is almost as big as I am. I want it, but I have to get the white rose. Maybe Rumpelstiltskin will tell me about the garden later. The only thing he has ever said was that the flowers in the garden were used for special magic potions. Reaching the end of the garden, I see a lone bush filled with white roses. There's a particularly large rose that I must have!

Unfortunately, it is at the very top of the bush. It is a few feet above me, but I still try to reach for it anyways. I can't quite reach it and a thorn cuts into my arm and I frown. I have to have that rose! I whimper slightly and I am tempted to call Rumpelstiltskin to get it down for me.

"Psssst!" I hear a voice next to me.

I turn to my right and the bushes next to me are rustling.

"Hello?" I say shyly, not wanting to move any closer to the bushes.

"Psssssssstttt!" the whispering has become louder.

A hand extends from the bushes and I freeze. The hand has a white glove, and a sleeve with a shirt that has purple and blue stripes on it. The hand crooks a finger to come closer. Gingerly, I take a few steps forward.

"Who is it?" I step a few feet away from the bushes, gasping when they part.

There is a man in the bushes. He reminds me of a clown. His eyes are outlined in black and so are his lips. But his lips trace all the way up his cheek, making it look like he's smiling all the way to his ears. His jacket is a sparkly blue and he has on a purple shirt with the blue stripes. He has obviously been hiding in the bushes for some time now.

"Hello there, little one" the man chirps, his voice almost as high as Rumpelstiltskin's.

"Why are you in the bushes?" I ask him. For some reason, I don't want to go near him.

"I had found this rabbit I was chasing" he says with a strange shake of his body, "And I was just passing through here when I heard a little cry. Did you hurt yourself?"

His eyes drop to my arm, and I look down to. I hadn't even noticed the little stream of blood from where the thorn had pricked me.

"Do you want that rose on the top of the bush?" he says with another smile, his eyebrows twitching up and down.

I nod, not sure what to say. I have never seen anyone else here before. The man climbs out of the bushes, and his pants are also a sparkly blue as well. The front of his hair has been dyed purple too. Effortlessly, he plucks the white rose off the bush and yanks out a pair of miniature scissors. He takes a special care to nip off any long thorns before presenting me the rose on a long stem. I don't know if I should take it.

"Oh, you're a shy one" he kneels down next to me since he is so very tall, "Come here. Do you not want the flower? It matches your dress and is almost as pretty as you are"

I step forward and take the flower from him. "Who are you?"

"Are you good with secrets?" he cups a hand around his mouth, "Just keep it between me and you"

"Why does it need to be a secret?" I don't know what to think of the man as I clutch the flower to me.

"A lot of people aren't nice to me" he says as his eyes grow teary, "I don't want anyone else to know I'm here because I don't want them to make fun of me"

"Me to" I say sadly as I remember the children laughing at me. I have just noticed that his eyes are different colors. One is green and the other is an amber gold color.

"My name is Senyum, and it means 'to smile'" just in case I didn't believe him, he gives me another large smile. "But my nickname is Chess"

"Chess? Like the game?" I ask him.

He smiles again. "You're very smart. Smart and pretty. That puts a smile on my face" He raises his hands and points his fingers at his cheeks. "Can you smile?"

I give a small smile.

"Ah! There it is! I have waiting to see you smile" he hops a bit closer to me, still kneeling down, "Would you like to go on an adventure?"

"Where would we go?" I ask him. I wonder if he's a friend of Rumpelstiltskin.

"Oh I don't know. Where you like to go?"

"I'm not really sure-"

"Then it doesn't matter where we go! I'm sure if we travel enough, we'll get somewhere!"

I hear Rumpelstiltskin shouting, and I turn around. "Where are you?"

"I have to go" I turn back to Chess, but he's already vanished.

"Little dearie, do you have any idea how long you've been gone?" Rumpelstiltskin has found me, and he doesn't look happy. He sees the rose in my hand and looks at the top of the bush. "How did you get that flower all the way up there?"

I want to keep Chess's secret. "Oh, well, I stood on the tips of my toes and-"

"Enough! You, although very good at catching people at lies, aren't good at telling them!"

I look down at the rose. "There was a man here. He got the rose for me. Was he one of your friends?"

"A man was here?"

"Yes" I look up at him, feeling altogether nervous at the look on his face, "I didn't know there were others here. Do they only come out in the day time?"

Rumpelstiltskin grabs me by the shoulder and presses me against his side. He has a very worried face, which makes me even more nervous. Rumpelstiltskin is never worried. He looks around the place for a few minutes, but Chess is long gone. I look at the bush again, and I see two eyes looking back at me. That one amber eye winks at me before completely vanishing. I don't say anything.

"I think it's time for you to get back" he says as he drags me back to castle, "I'll show you the spell another time"

He grabs me by the hand, something which he never does, and practically drags me back. I have to run to keep up with him. I keep tripping over my dress and he eventually just scoops me up in his arms.

I wait until we are back at the castle before I say anything. "What's wrong-?"

He sets me back down gently. In a flash, he is kneeling down in front of me. "Do you trust me?"

This is a very odd question. "What's going on?"

He crooks his neck and his face is now so close to mine. "Do you trust me?"

I nod, feeling myself beginning to tremble slightly.

"Never give anyone here your name" he puts a finger under my chin as he looks me in the eye, "Your name is your everything. Give someone that, and let's just say they'll have power over you"

"You know my name"

"I am your friend, remember? If someone who wasn't your friend knew your name, they might try to hurt you"

I am very confused. I don't understand what my name has to do with anything. "What's going on?"

"Nothing you need to be concerned with. Now go home. And from now on, you will stay out of the garden"

I really want to know what's going on, but before I can ask, he pushes me through the mirror.

* * *

><p>"Emma!" my eyes fly open and I see Ms. Jenna staring down at me. "What are you doing? Everyone has been looking for you for the last hour!"<p>

"I'm sorry" I say as I rub my eyes.

"I heard you got into another fight!" Ms. Jenna says with a huff as she puts her hands on her hips. Last time I did that, Rumpelstilskin asked if I was trying to mimic a penguin. I can't help but snicker.

"Do you think this is funny?"

"No" I drop my head and stop laughing.

"Good" she says sternly, "Now what happened with your class? You can't keep getting into trouble"

"Ms. Jenna, they kicked me out of class again, but I didn't do anything wrong! The other children said I'm a show off!" the angry look on her face drops off, "The boy who sits next to me threw a spitball in my hair, so I threw it back at him. He then tried to hit me. Even the teacher thinks I'm a show off"

"I know you're not a show off sweetie" she says kindly as she tries to smooth my messed up hair, "It just means you need to move to the next grade up!"

"You think I can do it?" I am so excited to hear this.

She pats my shoulder and nods. The very next day, I am taken out of my class by a man I have never seen before. He says he's the principal. No one in the class laughs as I walk out with my book bag. I am afraid I am in trouble.

"Ms. Emma Swan?" he asks when we walk into the hallway.

"Yes, that's me" I peer up at him, trying to hide behind my book bag. He has wide glasses and a head full of grey and white hair.

"I've heard a lot about you" he says as he stares down at me from his glasses, "Ms. Jenna May volunteers in my office and has been giving you some extra lessons"

"Yes sir" if I am in trouble, I just want him to be done with it.

"You have bit of a temper problem" he gives me a look that makes me want to sink into my bag, "But, your test scores show that you are very bright. I think you lash out because you aren't being challenged enough, and Ms. May agrees. So, as a favor to her, I have decided to move you to the next grade"

I don't know what to say, but I am so happy! I can learn something new! Before I can say anything, he continues talking.

"You won't be having your lessons here though" he says, "There is a family that wants you to live with them. The Alden family. You will be leaving with them within the week and starting at the school in their neighborhood"

I lower my head back down as he directs me to his office. I don't want to go with another family. They always bring me back. The principal shows me a picture of the family when we reach his office. It is a picture of a man and a woman, both with light brown hair. They are standing on the beach, wind and sun in their hair. This would look like a happy family, if not for the sinking feeling in my stomach.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry this took ten years to update. Got several stories going at one time and school. Basically here, little Emma is torn between being a kid and acting like an adult as she has no one her own age, so her age mentality tends to bounce around. **Warning: There is a reference to child abuse, so the rating from here on out is T**.

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><p>Tongue poking out of the corner of my mouth, all of my concentration was fixed on the small, yellow flower sitting in front of me. Brows furrowed so hard they hurt, I stared at it for a few more minutes, willing for something, anything, to happen. Still, nothing happened. Sniffling slightly, I crossed my arms in front of me, a little pout forming on my mouth. There is a rustle next to me, and I look up to see that Rumpelstiltskin had now joined me. To top it off, he has struck the exact same pose as I had. Bottom lip hanging out, he glares evilly at the little flower as he crosses his long arms in front of him.<p>

"Stop making fun of me!" I squeal as I reach out to push him.

"You know, little dearie, simpering at the flower won't do you any good" Rumpelstiltskin, of course, managed to avoid my outstretched arms with a single step. With a snap of his fingers, there is a rush of purple smoke enveloping the yellow flower. Once it fades, there is a long stemmed rose in its place. "See, it's as simple as a snap of your fingers!"

"Why can't I do it?" even I can hear the whine in my voice, "I've been at this for a while and I feel like all I'm doing is staring at a flower"

"That's because that is all you are doing" Rumpelstiltskin waved one pointed finger at me, eyebrows waggling everywhere as he tries not to laugh at me, "You've got to actually feel the magic, not just have a staring contest with an inanimate object!"

"What's inanimate mean?"

"It means it's not real" his hands are now a flurry of motion around my face, "So, no matter how hard you stare at it, you'll never get a reaction. You need to feel it!"

"How?" he is not making any sense again.

He rolls his eyes, and I know I said something that annoyed him. Picking the rose up from the table, he taps the fat bud against his face for a moment as he circles back around the table.

"You've done it before?" his voice takes on a stranger, more sarcastic tone, "When you were pushed out of a window by a broom. The problem is you are trying too hard. All magic, when done correctly, should come naturally. You can't force it"

I am still so confused. "Is there a difference between trying too hard and giving one hundred percent?"

"Of course there is" he pushes the rose in my hand, "Now, your task is trying to figure out the difference"

"How do I figure out how to do that?" for a moment, I try snapping my fingers, but I am not good at it.

"You have to trust me" he folds his arms in front of his chest and tries to put on a serious face, "I wouldn't give you a task you couldn't handle"

I pout at the rose in my hands. "But how?"

"Well, _how_, did you do it the first time?"

"I don't know!" I shout at him, "I just did and you're not helping, and-"

"Eeep!" with a loud squawk of his own, his hands are everywhere until one finger finds my lips, "You are letting your emotions get to you!

"I don't know. I did it once after to back home, to help with my chores-"

"You did magic in your world?" in a flash, he is kneeling in front of me, his brown eyes suddenly wider.

"Uh, well, yes, I-I did" I stutter, silently cursing myself for telling him. I know for certain I am in trouble now.

"You were able to create magic in a land without it?" he is blinking at me with a very strange look on his face.

"Am I in trouble?"

"No, no, dear child" he says, both of his hands flying everywhere for a few seconds, "No, no. You did everything so…so perfectly!"

"There is something you're not telling me!" I cry out. I hate it when he plays guessing games.

"Who said there was anything to tell?" he said with one of his weird chirps.

I frown, becoming annoyed with him. "Will you just tell me what I did right? And what was so right about it?"

"It's going to be hard to tell you something when there isn't anything to tell" with another giggle, he taps me quickly on the nose before getting up off the ground. Doing a little skip, he presses his hands behind his back and walks back to his spinning wheel.

"Rumpel-"

"Little dearie, I am in need of fresh straw" he waves of my protests, "There is some at the bottom of the castle. Go fetch me some"

"Fine, I'll just figure it out myself" I said snidely.

He turns around to face me for a moment, a strange gleam in his eyes. A slow smile creeps up his face eerily. Feeling suddenly nervous, I stutter something out before I scuttle out of the tower. Quickly running down the steps, it's not long before I am in the large room again. It has been a long time since I've been here. Indeed, since the 'broom' incident, Rumpelstiltskin has never left me alone again. Glancing around the room, my eye falls on the purple pointy hat with the silver stars. Feeling the need to laugh at the memory, I turn away from it before I can be tempted to play with it again.

Across the room where the straw is kept, I see a door that I have never seen before. An overwhelming desire comes over me and I desperately want to open it. Shaking my head, I remember the scolding I had gotten from Rumpelstiltskin over the hat. Indeed, he had ignored me for nearly two weeks, and when he brought me back here, it had been nearly another week before he spoke full sentences to me. Scooping up a handful of straw in my arms, I tear myself away from the door.

"Oh dear goodness!" I hear a panicked voice coming from behind me, "I am so late!"

Whirling around, I drop the straw when I see an old, short man with white hair sticking up everywhere dashing madly around the room. I have never seen him before. Bending over, I scoop the straw back up as I look him over. He is wearing a strange brown jacket with large buttons and a puffy collar. It also looks like he is wearing white stockings with black boots. The only time I have seen anyone other than ladies wear stockings is in my history books, and I can't stop looking at them.

"Oh my goodness I am so late!" the man's nervous voice snaps me out of my trance. Squinting down at me, he blinks a few times before he adjusts what looks like a magnifying glass on his eye. "And you little lady are even far later than I am!"

"Late for what?" I take a few steps away from him, "Who are you?"

"Someone who is very late for a very important date!" he nods down at me, "You made me late! I've been looking for you!"

"Um, are you supposed to even be here?" I frown as I stare at him. This man has lost his bananas. Even Rumpelstiltskin makes more sense than him!

"Pssssttt!" there is another noise behind me.

Turning around, I see impossibly white teeth stretched in a grin staring at me from a dark corner. A single amber pops into view, followed by a green eye.

"Chess?" I clutch the straw closer to myself, my legs suddenly feeling like lead, "How did you get in here?"

There is a flash of blue sequins and he steps out of the shadows. He is so very tall, much taller than Rumpelstiltskin is. He is dressed in his sparkly blue and purple outfit again, he is also holding a large blue top hat in his hand.

"Hello there, little one" he comes over to my side, and with a dramatic sweep with both of his hands, he places the hat on my hand, "So good to see you again"

The hat is slightly too big for me, and the top portion slides down to cover my eye. The inside of it feels like silk and it tickles me. I can't help but giggle as I try and readjust the hat.

"Wow, I love this hat!" I can't stop feeling the inside of that hat and it's so sparkly and pretty!

"Well, it was made by a special person" Chess says with a nod, "He gave away this hat for free. Normally, I would find it strange, but he had so many"

"Was the hat maker a friend of yours? Does he own a hat shop?" I want to see if there are any more pretty hats that maybe I can keep!

Chess gives me an odd look. "I don't think it was a shop. He tossed this hat out because he said it didn't work. He just kept muttering, 'get it to work, get it to work'"

"Get what to work?"

He shrugs and gives me a bewildered look. "Little one, your guess is as good as mine. If you ever happen to come across the answer, please tell me"

"Pardon me!" the white haired man behind me pipes up, feet tapping anxiously, "But do either of you realize how late you are!"

"What am I late for?" I ask him again. He squints down at me as the hat drops in from of my eyes again.

"I hear you are such a precocious child" Chess comes up behind me and places his hands on my shoulders, "Tell me, does your friend here speak riddles and never give you answers?"

"Yes!" I say with another huff. "He always tells me to figure things out on my own!"

"Now that's not very nice" Chess wags a finger at me before circling back behind me, "In fact, that sounds rather annoying"

"It is!" finally, someone who understands!

"You know, I don't believe I caught your name!" Chess now moves right in front of me again. His eyes, especially his amber one, are sparkling, and they are again highlighted with make-up, "So, may I have your name, child?"

I swallow nervously for a second. "My name?"

"Why yes, your name" he pulls back from me, as if I had slapped him, "I gave you my name! It's a symbol of friendship"

I don't know, but I don't want to tell him my name. A thought suddenly crosses my mind. "I'm Jenna. My name is Jenna"

"Jeeeennnnnaah!" he says my name as if he is purring, "Such a pretty name for such a pretty girl" he gives a quick shrug of his shoulders with a weird snorting noise.

"Sir! I must dually protest!" the man with white hair is almost beside himself, "We are late!"

Rolling his eyes, Chess stands to his feet and dusts of his jacket. "Yes, I know, I know. Little Jenna, will you be joining us?" He stretches out a hand toward me, but all I can do is stare at it. "C'mon, don't be shy"

"No" I say with a frown as I take a step away from him, "I don't even know where you're going, so why would I join you?" He walks away from the door and waltzes over to me in a little dance.

"Ah, I had forgotten how clever you are" with another huge smile, Chess reclaims his hat and turns and opens the door I had been so curious about. "When you are finally ready to find those answers you so desperately want answered, and answered plainly, just open this door. I promise I'll be waiting for you on the other side" With another grin, he opens the door, allowing the man with the white hair in first before exits, giving me a slight wave.

I find myself staring into empty space. Did that really just happen? Mustering up all of my courage, I take a step towards the now closed door, my hand outstretched to open it-

"What the hell are you doing!"

My hand falls away from the doorknob as if it had caught fire. "Nothing!"

"You were going to open the door, weren't you" Rumpelstiltskin is glaring down at me, as always with a finger pointed in my face.

"I just wanted to know what was inside" I stand straight as a board as he towers over me, his face twisted in anger. I have the feeling after tonight, he won't talk to me again for a week.

"Under no circumstances do you open that door!" for once he is standing still as he yells at me. This is bad; he is only ever completely still when he is very angry.

"Why?" I demand, pulling myself up straighter. Chess is right! I am tired of the riddles and secrets. "What's behind it!"

"You know, curiosity killed the cat"

"And satisfaction brought it back" I say with a huff.

He gives me a mean smile. "Yes well, unlike the cat you can't come back"

"I want to know what's behind the door!" I can almost hear myself pleading.

"What with the sudden pique in curiosity?" he frowns down at me, "Someone must've told you about the door"

"No!" I am not lying about this part. I was curious about the door before Chess. So, I am technically not lying. "I saw it, and I had never seen it before. I wanted to know what's behind it"

He doesn't respond. Instead, he snatches me hand and drags me away. "I think it's time for you to go home, little dearie. You are not behaving yourself"

I have to run to keep up with him. "But I just want to know what's behind the door!"

"And I've told you it's none of your concern" he drags me to the hallway and shoves me towards the mirror, "Go back home. You need to grow up some. You are treating everything I am teaching you as a game"

"I am not!" by this point, even I know I am whining.

He doesn't do anything but shove me towards the mirror again. I try to say something, but he makes another of his weird shushing noises. I glare at him before turning back around. Fine! I will find out what's behind that door by myself!

* * *

><p>"Emma!" there is a loud pounding on the door, "Get up!"<p>

Even though I am still half asleep, I can hear Mr. Peters, my foster father, yelling. Eyelids fluttering open, I hear Mr. Peters banging on the door and I want nothing more than to curl up underneath my blankets. He is a scary man. I have only lived here for a few weels, but I can tell he doesn't like me. Maybe it's because I discovered he wore something called a toupee to hide the fact that he is balding? No. He didn't like me even before that. One time when I asked him a question, he slapped me. He drinks this fouls smelling liquid when he comes home from work, and it's on these nights that he's at his meanest. Then there's Mrs. Peters. On the night he slapped me, she said something about how I was a nothing more than a big fat check. I still don't understand what she meant by that, but I am too afraid to ask.

"Emma!" I hear him scream, "Are you up!"

"Yes sir!" I call out. Looking at my alarm clock, I realize that I'll be late for school if I don't hurry up. "I didn't hear the alarm clock. I'm sorry!"

There is a grunt at the door. "When you get home tonight, we need to discuss your behavior"

I have done something wrong again. Clutching my night light to me, I can't help but let out a whimper. I am not sure what I did wrong, but I am very sorry. I make up my mind to call Ms. Jenna when I am dropped off at school. She'll know what to do. And I still remember her number.

"Emma!" Mr. Peters begins banging on the door, "Hurry it up in there or you'll be late!"

I quickly dress myself and I stuff the night light in my pocket. Shivering, I open the door to the room. I can't call it my room, because this isn't my home. Opening the door, I see Mr. Peters standing over me, hands on his hips, scowling at me.

"You just wait till you get home" he snaps, "You need a lesson in manners, and now apparently, on getting up on time! Get in the car! School starts in less than fifteen minutes"

I flinch inwardly as I walk past him. As I walk through the house, I bump into Mrs. Peters. She is smoking a cigarette, thumbing through the morning newspaper. She doesn't bother looking up at me. I am all alone.

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><p>Coming up next: Emma vs Mr. Peters and discovers what's behind the door in Rumpelstiltskin's castle.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I think I have taken this story as far as it's going to go. Don't want it to go off the deep end into mature, as the whole point of this was to be 'light-hearted' with a happy ending and I think I started to stray from that whole theme. (I seem to enjoy horror stories way too much). Got an idea on how to end the story from **LoneAngel666**. There is a brief mention of abuse, so be warned. Will have one more chapter after this one. If I haven't done so yet, thank you for all of the lovely reviews! If anyone is interested, I have a cross over with the Batman Trilogy called **'Price of a Smile'**.

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><p>I quickly pull yesterday's clothes on as Mr. Peter's said I only had five minutes to get ready. Once I am done, I grab my book bag and find him standing in front of the door way, waiting for me. I scurry in front of him, taking special care to stay at arm's length as we walk into the kitchen. Mrs. Peter's is already there. For a brief moment, Mrs. Peter's and I lock eyes. I silently plead for help as I walk into the large kitchen. Dashing out her cigarette in a nearby ash tray, she picks up her large mug of coffee before she leaves the kitchen. Mr. Peter's took one heavy stomp behind me and I whirl around to face him. He was so much bigger than me that I couldn't help but be scared. Feeling my knees wobbling, I take a few steps backward. He looks so very mean and I clutch the little amulet in my pocket, hope maybe Rumpelstiltskin will show up.<p>

"Uh, little miss princess" he sneers down at me, "The door is the other way"

"I, uh, I" I was trying to say I had wanted to grab my lunch box, but the words get stuck in my throat.

"I, uh, I, err" he mocks me for a minute, and I close my mouth and look around. He now has me backed in a corner.

"I just wanted to get my lunch" I say quietly as I stare at the ground, flinching when he steps grow even louder. I am now afraid he is going to hit me.

'Help me, please help me!' I silently scream.

"Listen to me, dear…" suddenly, his voice seemed so far away as he says the word 'dear'.

An old memory comes to my mind as I twirl the little amulet in my pocket. Clutching it in my fist, I think back to the time Rumpelstiltskin had first chased me across the castle. Looking beyond Mr. Peter's, I see that the front door isn't so far beyond me reach.

"Now, you get over here" Mr. Peter's crooked a finger at me. His face was beat red from anger.

"No" I said as firmly as I could.

"Excuse me?" this throws him off and for a moment, he staggers backwards, "Did I not just tell you that we are late for school?"

"Whose we? Do you go to my school to? But you're supposed to be a grown-up. How could you fit in one of the little chairs?"

This one surprises him. "You listen, and you listen here little missy-"

_"Little Miss Dearie!"_ I can hear Rumpelstiltskin's squeaky voice in the back of my mind and I can't help but giggle, _"You get back here!"_

"You think I'm funny!" Mr. Peter's face is so red and I think I see a little blue vein at the top of his forehead, "Oh no! I will not be made fun of by an eight year old brat! Do you think I'm stupid?"

The answer just rolls out of my mouth. "Yes"

With that he makes a lunge for me, knocking over the ash tray. Everything is moving in slow motion as I quickly drop to my knees. Holding my breath, I scurry as quickly as I can between his legs, wincing at the broken glass cutting into my knees and legs. He makes a strange gurgling noise when he realizes I am no longer in front of him. I am now half way across the room. I hear him snarl behind me when he finally notices where I am heading and I jump to my legs and make a dash for the front door.

"What the?" I heard Mr. Peter's confused grunt, so similar to the one Rumpelstiltskin had made so long ago. He turns around and I can hear him pounding after me.

Forcing my arms to pump faster I reach the front door. Fumbling for the doorknob, I try to turn at it but it doesn't budge.

"C'mon!" I cry out. It is locked and my hands are so shaky that I can barely grasp the knob. "Open!"

"What is going on?" Mrs. Peter's is back in the room. I turn to see her beady red eyes narrow in on me, "Emma, what are you doing?"

Mr. Peter's is now shouting a word that Miss Jenna said was naughty. The front door flies open and I dash out. I can hear Mr. Peter screaming out at me some more, and I pump my arms faster and faster. I make a quick dash across a parking lot, not caring about the cars that are honking at me. I never look back. I have to find a phone. I have to find Miss Jenna. She'll know what to do. Some other grown-ups began shouting and I run into a nearby gas station. Panting for breath, I gripped my knees as I tried not to double over from the pain in my chest.

"Hey kid!" a man runs up to me wearing a red and white apron. He doesn't look much older than Miss Jenna and shock mars his young face as he eyes me. "Are you okay?"

"Don't let him hurt me!" for a second, I don't even realize it is me screaming.

The young man's face turns white. "Okay, okay! Please stop crying! Calm down kid!"

"I need to call Miss Jenna!" I am crying really loudly now.

"Alright, alright" the man puts a hand on my back and steers me towards the back of the store before whipping out a cell phone. "Here I gotta go watch the store. I'll be back in a few minutes". I am very grateful I remembered Miss Jenna's phone number. She gave it to me, 'in case of an emergency'.

"Hello, this is Jenna" I finally hear a familiar voice on the other side of the receiver. For a minute, I am too relieved too talk. "Hello?"

"Jenna! Miss Jenna it's me!" I cry into the phone, "It's Emma!"

"Emma! Emma, honey, are you okay? Why are you crying? What's going on!" she is talking so fast so I can barely understand her, "Emma where are you?"

"HETRIEDTOHURTME!" I scream into the phone.

"Emma! Emma, listen to me! I need you to calm down! Just take a few, slow, deep, breaths" Miss Jenna says, her voice very relaxing.

Still, I don't want Mr. Peter's to find me. "Don't leave me here! Please!"

There is silence on the other end for a minute. "Emma, is there an adult nearby? I need to speak with an adult if you need help"

"Okay" I nod weakly before going out into the front of the store.

I go out and I find the man who had given me is cell phone. He is talking to an older woman in a brown suit. Both are looking at me nervously. He comes over and kneels down before me. I look over at his name tag. "A. Booth", it reads.

"It's okay" he says with a pat on my shoulder. His bright blue eyes are very wide. I wonder if I have scared him.

"Miss Jenna wants to talk to one of you" I say as I hand him his phone.

"I'll handle this" the woman in the brown suit steps over and takes the phone away from me. "Hello? Who is this? Hi, I'm Margery Ana, and my associate found this child in the store. Good, good, when will you be here?" She walks towards the back of the store. "Well, it's his first day, so he wasn't too sure what to do. I know! Talk about a way to start a job!"

From the window, I can see Mr. Peter's walking around the area. He stops and talks to several other people on the way. I just know he is asking about me. Letting out a slight whimper, I duck behind a row of magazines and pray that he just leaves. He turns and stares at the gas station for a minute. He blinks at it and moves a few steps closer and I hold my breath. Suddenly, Mrs. Peter's comes running up behind him and starts tugging on her shoulder. He turns back to the gas station for a split second before finally walking away.

"There!" Margery Ana is coming back. "Your Miss Jenna will be here this afternoon and…hun are you okay?"

I hadn't known I was still whimpering until I turned to see her and the man from earlier standing a few feet away from me.

"Poor doll, she's shaking like a leaf" Margery Ana says before shoving Mr. Booth towards me, "We have a few customers. I'll take care of them. Help the girl. Keep her in the break room till her friend picks her up"

"Hey there. Let's get you out of here. Are you hungry?" Mr. Booth takes me by the hand and leads me back to the room I was in. Looking down, he sees an old, yellowing bruise on my shoulder. "When you said, 'him', earlier, did you mean your father? Did your father try to hurt you?"

"He's not my father! I just stay with him" I say defensively, "I live with Miss Jenna and a lot of other children in a place Miss Jenna's mom owns. I think it's called foster care"

"Oh, you're in the foster system" he nods, "I understand. I was in there too for a little while"

"You were!"

"Oh yeah" Mr. Booth says with a chuckle, "But luckily for me, a few older friends were able to leave and I went with them"

"Wow!" I am amazed and impressed by this, "Do you live around here?"

"Oh no" Mr. Booth says as we get to the room, "My friends and I are just passing through, so I needed a quick job"

"That's so cool!" I hate him! I wish I could do something like that!

We finally get back to that small room. "By the way, I didn't get your name, kid"

"I'm Emma" I say as I go sit in a corner. Even though I have only been awake for a few hours, I am exhausted by all of the events.

"Emma?" suddenly his brow furrows as if he doesn't believe me.

"Yes" I say, suddenly feeling very unsure and awkward, "My name is Emma"

Mr. Booth stops dead in his tracks and a strange look appears on his face. He opens his mouth as if he is about to say something.

"Wayne!" Margery Ana's voice cuts through the tension, "I need your help up here!"

Swallowing nervously, Mr. Booth, or Wayne looks at me for a moment before closing the door and rushing off. He is odd. I don't know why my name made him so uncomfortable. Looking around the room, I notice a big pink sofa. There is a small water fountain and I suddenly realize how thirsty I am. Taking a few gulps of bitter water, I go back to the couch and curl up on the couch. Curling up into a corner, I try to fight off sleep. I have only just woken up, but all of the running and crying has left me tired. And Rumpelstiltskin is probably still mad at me right now.

There is a small microwave on the other side of the room. I stare at the time etched in little red numbers. Rubbing my eyes, I stifle a yawn. Miss Jenna will be here soon, and I don't want to miss her. And it's still morning! It's not even ten yet! I shouldn't be so sleepy. I rub my eyes again as the world around me becomes very fuzzy. I glare at the little time clock. Only two minutes have passes by. There is a slight crash from the front of the store and I hear Margery Ana's high voice, but I can't make out what she's saying. My eyelids have begun to hurt now. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to close them, just for a little bit, as long as I don't fall asleep.

* * *

><p>"Uh?" My eyes shoot open and for a moment, I am scared as I am no longer on the pink sofa.<p>

Instead, I am now on a dark blue rug in the middle of a large room. I must've fallen asleep. Blinking, I rub my eyes and look around. I am back in Rumpelstiltskin's castle. I'm in the middle of his floor. Pulling myself to my feet, I look around, but I don't see him anywhere. That's good. I need to get back to the mirror before he sees me. He won't be happy that I'm back, especially since just earlier today, he told me to stay away for a while. And this time, I'm still wearing my usual clothing.

Had I gotten here all on my own this time? I have never done that, and every time I've come here, he's always been there to greet me, or he's left me a note. And I'm in the same clothes as before. These clothes are from yesterday, since I woke up late and had to get dressed really quickly. Something's not right here. I am going to leave before he finds me here. I don't want to make him any angrier with me. The last time I made him mad, he didn't bring me here for nearly three weeks. Hopefully, Miss Jenna will have found me by now.

Brushing the dirt off my knees, I wince as I touch the little cuts I had gotten from the glass. It was well worth it though. As I walk down the hallway, there is a slight rumble, and I turn to see the door that Rumpelstiltskin insisted was 'none of my concern'. I know I should just walk away, but the door starts shaking, if that's possible, and I can't help but inch closer towards it. There is a white light coming through the crack and I take a step even closer. This is the door where Chess and his friend walked into. The door begins rumbling again. I look around. I still don't see Rumpelstiltskin anywhere. It's just me and the door. With a little smile, I grab hold of the door knob and yank it open.

* * *

><p>Up next: What's behind the door.<p> 


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